Mark Foley has resigned in disgrace as Republican U.S. House member from the state of Florida. As the AP via New York Times reports:

“Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., just up and quit after his e-mails expressing undue interest in a 16-year-old male page were exposed to the nation.“

This story from crooksandliars.com should give a good indication of the kind of sick atmosphere the Republicans have created on Capitol Hill:

“ABC’s Brian Ross was the person who broke the story of Rep. Mark Foley. Tonight on ABC News, Ross gave a more indepth report, including the text of instant messages that Foley allegedly exchanged with these minors.
MaF54: What are ya wearing?
Teen: Tshirt and shorts
MaF54: Love to slip them off of ya.
Ross goes on to say that the messages ‘become much graphic – too graphic to be broadcast’ and gone on to describe internet sex. Later on Ross says that one page said his ‘entire class was warned about Foley from people involved in the program.’ Now if warnings were issued, then why was action never taken? Sounds like the leadership in Congress really needs to be asked some serious questions about this.“

Of course Republicans in Congress have seen one scandal after another, from the numerous ethics probes into now-indicted and resigned former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to failed oversight of the corrupt administration of George W. Bush (and their frequent guest, convicted influence peddler Jack Abramoff<!–) to the disgrace and jailing of California Republican and former “top gun” Duke Cunningham and well beyond. And now current Majority Leader John Boehner is becoming enmeshed in this current Foley scandal, working to block an investigation into the matter and changing his story by the minute. Here’s what a right-wing blog parrots from Washington Post stories about Boehner’s shifting version of the truth:

“Washington Post: House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post last night that he had learned this spring of some “contact” between Foley and a 16-year-old page. Boehner said he told House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), and that Hastert assured him ‘we’re taking care of it.’
UPDATE: I was reading a last-night version of that piece. It now says: ‘House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post last night that he had learned this spring of inappropriate “contact” between Foley and a 16-year-old page. Boehner said he then told House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.). Boehner later contacted The Post and said he could not remember whether he talked to Hastert.’ “

In the Senate, Byron Dorgan takes on another issue that might make people think about who to vote for in the mid-term elections. What was done, he asks, after the president was warned in August 2001 that “Bin Laden [is] determined” to attack the homeland? These Republican politicans are braying, vicious idiots and these kinds of incidents give lie to the moralistic (and often anti-gay) and “tough on terror” nonsense they preach to scared, gullible hillbillies. And what a country of hillbillies America must be, that a Democratic takeover of the House in November 2006 is even in question.

[photo: Reuters]